


Power Rangers: The Rise of Lord Zedd

by AnarchyRules



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Bisexual Kimberly Hart, Brainwashing, F/F, F/M, Green Ranger Saga, Green With Evil, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Sequel, Trini/Kimberly - Freeform, Unofficial Sequel, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-01-04 11:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12168363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnarchyRules/pseuds/AnarchyRules
Summary: Sequel to the film. Five months after the defeat of Rita Repulsa, a new enemy arrives with eyes for the Zeo Crystal. The Power Rangers will stand against him but he's not alone. At his side stands a Green Power Ranger...Jason grows close to this strange new girl living on a nearby Army base and Kimberly realises that she's spending more time alone with Trini than is normal for friends.





	1. It's Probably Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: This is a sequel story to the movie based five months after the events of the first film.

**Chapter One: It’s Probably Nothing**

Alpha V was over sixty-five million years old. Technically obsolete. That being said, he was still lightyears ahead of anything Earth could whip up so he still felt pretty good about himself.

Usually.

Something was off today and he didn’t know what it was. Which was odd as aside from dealing with the occasional threat created and mutated by the gold dust that used to be Goldar, there had been little in the way of anything that one would consider exciting or dangerous.

“Alpha V, status report.” As usual, Zordon was blunt and direct, wasting no time on pleasantries or asking about his day. _Although would it kill him to do so just once?_

            “Not sure yet, Master,” the robot replied, “According to the ship’s scanners, everything seems to be fine but… I don’t know. I feel like that I’m missing something, there’s something nagging at me.”

            “Are we under attack?”

            “No.” The answer was immediate. “There might be something going on out there but if we were under attack, we’d know. That would be very difficult to hide.”

            “What’s your best guess?”

            “Honestly, I think it could be something as simple as a starship passing through the system. They’re cloaked because this is a pre-spaceflight planet and they don’t want to be seen in the unlikely event Earth’s scanners pick them up. I believe that there is something on Earth called the ‘ _X-Files_ ’ that is in charge of that. That would explain the anomalies here. Our sensors are reacting to _something_ , they just don’t know _what_ said something is.”

            “Well, just keep me informed of any developments. And alert Jason and the others. Tell them to be on standby, just in case.”

            “Ah well,” the robot said philosophically, “Things were getting too quiet around here anyway.”

**~o~O~o~**

Trini Kwang was sick.

The Power Coins were truly marvels. They could provide their owner with enhanced strength, reflexes, and agility. They could transform their owner into a Power Ranger, warrior of strength and virtue sworn to protect all life in the galaxy. They could even call upon the mighty zords, colossal vehicles of immense power.

However, they were utterly useless against the common flu virus.

With a throbbing headache, a nose that was somehow both blocked up and running with hot and cold sensations so intense she was practically a Katy Perry single, Trini was a mess.

Like every morning before, she was roused from sleep by the pounding of her mother’s fist against her bedroom door.

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

“Trini, get up this instant!” her mother shouted, “You’re late!”

“ _Imglntingll._ ” It was all the yellow ranger was capable of saying. As that was apparently not a satisfactory response, Trini’s bedroom door swung inwards (no prizes for guessing who forbade her from installing a lock) to reveal her mother. She stalked towards the bed and ripped off Trini’s sweat saturated sheets.

“What are you still doing in bed?” she demanded.

“I. Am. _Sick._ ” Trini had to force the words out one by one. Mrs Kwang narrowed her eyes suspiciously before laying a hand on her daughter’s forehead to take her temperature.

“Well, you do have a fever,” she conceded, somewhat reluctantly, “I’ll call the school and let them know you won’t be coming in today.

“I’ll be fine.” Trini tried to get up but her mother pushed her back down to the bed. “I’ll just walk it off,” she protested.

“Don’t even think about it,” Mrs Kwang said sternly, “It’s your own fault. This is what happens when you stay out so late all the time. Where do you even go? Fine, don’t tell me but you are staying in this room. You’re father and I will be out at work but don’t even _think_ about leaving the house while we’re gone.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Trini muttered.

Despite her well known sense of rebelliousness, within five minutes, the Yellow Ranger was snoring.

**~o~O~o~**

“Hey, have any of you seen Trini today?” Kimberly asked.

            “No but odds are she’s just playing hooky,” Jason replied as he piled Angel Grove High’s special Mystery Meat Stew onto his tray, “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

            “Hooky?” It was Billy. “What’s that?” Kimberly and Jason exchanged a look.

            “You don’t know what playing hooky means?” Kimberly asked.

            “To be fair, I don’t know what it means either,” Zack said carelessly, leading the group to their table.

            “ _How_ do you two not that word?” Jason asked, “It’s very common expression. Lots of people use it.”

            “Well good for them, it doesn’t help me magically learn it,” Zack replied smugly, enjoying the exasperated reactions of the team Mom and Dad.

            “Faking sick, taking the day off, skipping class, taking a personal day,” Jason recited, “Something like that.”

            “You should have just said one of those,” said Billy, “Then you wouldn’t have problems like this. Communication is very important. You are the leader, after all.” If it had been anyone else, Jason would have assumed he was teasing but, knowing Billy, that seemed unlikely.

            “Yeah, Jason.” Zack was grinning sadistically as he sat down next to Billy. “You _are_ the boss man, _boss man_.”

            “I give up,” Jason grumbled as he started to dig into his lunch.

            “Guys, I feel like we’re just breezing past the ‘have any of you seen Trini today’ part of the conversation,” Kimberly said.

            “Kim,” Zack said, his mouth mostly full, “Crazy girl is always, _always_ going to be fine.” Kimberly opened her mouth to respond when suddenly their power coins started to hum from within their pockets.

 _‘Rangers.’_ They could hear Alpha V’s voice in their heads. It was very uncomfortable. _‘We are detecting what appears to be a ship passing through the star system. While it is probably nothing, Zordon wishes for you to be on alert, just in case.’_ Zack winced. It was really weird hearing a voice in his head when he knew that his ears weren’t picking up anything.

            “Alpha,” he hissed, “What have I told you about this?”

            _‘To stop or you’ll dismantle me and turn me into a Nintendo. You know, that would be more threatening if I actually knew what a Nintendo was.’_

The Power Coins stopped humming, letting the Rangers know that the conversation was over and that Zack’s retort would go unheard.

            “Well, I was going to head over for some training anyway,” said Jason, “So how about we all just head over after school?” Both Billy and Zack agreed but Kimberly shook her head.

            “You guys go ahead. I’ll try to catch up but there’s a few things I need to do first.”

**~o~O~o~**

“Well, you’re looking gorgeous.” Trini forced her eyes open.

            “Be honest with me,” she asked, “How bad is it?” Kimberly grinned.

            “Sorry, sweetie,” she said wickedly, “I don’t think you’ll be winning any modelling awards in the near future.” Trini chuckled before giving into a fit of coughing.

            “Oh, don’t make me laugh,” she said when she was done, “Hurts. What are you doing here anyway?” Kimberly shrugged.

            “Well, I heard you were sick so I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

            “Aw, were you worried about little old me?”

            “Nah, of course not,” Kimberly said quickly, “It’s just that, without you, there’s no-one to operate the right arm of the Mega Zord so it’s just cold-blooded pragmatism.”

            “Oh thanks.” Trini’s grin took out any possible scorn. “I feel touched.” They were silent for a while until she realised something. “Wait, how did you know I was sick?”

            “Your mom told me.”

            “And she just let you in?” Kimberly laughed.

            “Oh not at all. She said you were ‘having a sick day, not a fun day and that you would not be having any visitors.’” Kimberly did such a credible impression of Mrs. Kwangs’s voice that Trini had to smother a snort.

            “So how did you get in?”

            “You’d be surprised just how many people leave their windows open. You shouldn’t do that, there’s scary people out there. Now, you’re sick so I’ve brought what every sick kid needs; chocolates, a funny magazine, a can of Coke, a John Woo movie and a moist towelette to dab on your forehead. If none of them can cure you, I’m afraid you’re a lost cause. So where do you want to start?”

            “Well, I do still have a fever so the towelette sounds pretty good.”

**~o~O~o~**

Rita Repulsa screamed.

Frozen, immobile, and hurtling through the endless vacuum of space she screamed silently into the void. Although she could still feel the blow of the metal giant’s fist against her cheek, the pain was nothing next to the sting of her failure.

The Zeo Crystal had been right there! Not even twenty metres away from her and _somehow,_ she had been defeated by five brightly coloured, half grown _apes!_

And Zordon.

_Zordon!_

Somehow that holier-than-thou hypocrite was still alive. She knew what she heard. Little Red had clearly said that Zordon would judge her. How he survived the impact of an extinction level asteroid she would never know but that was irrelevant. He was alive. If not for face being perfectly frozen in place, her lips would have been pulled back to form a furious snarl.

Her former comrade was alive.

His barely formed adolescents were alive.

Earth was alive.

And the Zeo Crystal was so far out of her reach that it might as well have been in another dimension.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been hurtling through the inky blackness of space. As there was no way of measuring the passage of time, it could have been seconds, days, or weeks. For all she knew, she might have spent _years_ plunging through the void. In space, once an object is in motion it stays in motion unless affected by an outside force. Sadly, the cold emptiness of space was rather devoid of external force. She wasn’t even sure if she’s cleared the Solar System yet.

She still had the Green Power Coin, for all the good it could do her now. She could not even move, much less call upon its power.

Suddenly, something burned through the darkness. The light was blinding, all consuming, _burning._

She knew the odds. She knew how impossibly, mind shatteringly _big_ space is. The chances of someone just stumbling onto a frozen body shooting across the stars was so slim that was not even worth considering as a possibility. Which meant someone was looking for her. But that brought her back to her first thought. Space was big. So big that there were not many people beings out there with the ability and resources to find her, even less with the inclination or desire to do so.

How did they find her? _Who_ had found her?

Both questions were answered when her Power Coin shone fiercely in response, bathing her in green.

Rita knew of only one person who could track her through her Power Coin. Her theory was confirmed upon seeing the large **_Z_** emblazoned on the side of the ship’s hull.

Rita Repulsa screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: The conversation regarding the phrase “playing hooky” is a word for word recreation of a discussion I recently had with some friends, I playing the role of Jason.
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Please remember to review.


	2. There’s a New Kid in Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a shout out to the campy, outrageously silly monsters that the show has given us over the past two decades. Looking at you, Turbo. I’m not joking, the monster used in this chapter was actually in the show.  
> Finally, the version of Tommy Oliver is going to be quite different for a number of reasons. Due to the fact that the Rangers are now much stronger, there is no way a normal person could draw with Jason in a martial arts fight.

**Chapter Two: There’s a New Kid in Town**

Zack was positive that no matter how many times he jumped of the cliff that led to Zordon’s submerged ship, he would never get tired of it. He just loved that rush, that feeling of weightlessness that only the act of freefall could provide.

For the five or so seconds it took to hit the water, nothing else mattered. He could let go of his fears about his mother’s illness, his shame of living in a trailer park and any other negative feeling.

For the five or so seconds it took to hit the water, he was completely and utterly free.

Although, he could live without having to walk home with wet sneakers. _Seriously,_ he thought to himself, _Zordon needs to install an exit that doesn’t make us have to swim out. Or maybe one of those walk-in heaters that dry your clothes while you’re wearing them. Ooh! I should talk to Alpha about that, I reckon he’d have fun whipping one of those things together. The only concern is where would we put it? It can’t be down here because that defeats the purpose but if it’s up there it would need to be hidden. Maybe we could make it look like a rock or something of that nature. Yeah, I like that._ The thought occupied him until they reached the ship’s bridge.

Jason wasted no time with greetings. “What’s the emergency?” he asked, “Alpha mentioned something about a ship passing through.”

A massive face, no smaller than five metres, forced its way out of the wall and gazed at the three teenagers.

“A ship is passing through our space,” Zordon said in his gravelly voice. Zack wondered if Zordon’s voice had sounded so before he had been forced into that stone wall or if that was a new sound. “You now know as much as I do. Alpha is waiting for you in The Pit for training. He has prepared something a little different for you.”

            “That sounds vaguely ominous,” Billy muttered under his breath.

            “Wait, where are the other two? Where’s Trini and Kimberly?” Zordon sounded vaguely irritated.

            “Trini’s a no show and Kimberly had an errand or something like that. It looks like it’s just us guys today,” Jason said as led Billy and Zack to The Pit.

**~o~O~o~**

Kimberly put her phone away. “That was Jason,” she said to the very curious and very unwell Trini. “He and the guys are gonna spend the rest of the afternoon training. Apparently, Zordon and Alpha have cooked up something quite diabolical.”

            “Suddenly I feel better about being sick.” Trini had a genuine smile on her face as she imagined whatever brutal training exercise she had managed to dodge. It was rare to see her smile like that, with no bitterness or resentment hiding in her eyes.

Kimberly wasn’t sure but something about that smile made her uncomfortable. Something she couldn’t put her finger on.

“So what’s this ‘ _diabolical’_ training exercise we are so fortunate not to be taking part in?” Kimberly forced down whatever it was she was feeling and plastered a smile on her face

“You’re not going to believe it,” she said, “It’s absolutely insane.”

**~o~O~o~**

“ _This is absolutely insane!_ ” Billy shrieked as he dodged another attack.

            “Oh _puh-lease,_ ” Alpha replied with the android equivalent of a snort, “Need I remind you that you once fought a giant monster made out of molten gold? Actual molten gold. Gold which has now since returned to the earth that you are currently standing on. This is hardly the strangest thing you’ve done since becoming rangers.”

            “You can’t pretend this is normal,” Zack cried out as he dodged another attack.

            “Come on, Alpha,” Jason grunted, lashing out with a lethal right hook, “Just admit it, you got really bored one night and tried to create the stupidest monster imaginable. That’s the only plausible explanation for this… _well, whatever the hell this is!!!_ ”

That was they could get out before the three Rangers were literally baked into a giant pizza.

            “You’ve got to be joking!” Zack exclaimed, spitting out a massive piece of salami.

**~o~O~o~**

It was bright.

Far too bright to see. It was all Rita could do to close her eyes to offer some respite against the glare but the angry light shone red against her eyelids. However, as bad as it was, it was lightyears better than trying to breathe vacuum.

She was curled up on the metal floor, a weak, pathetic, almost childish figure. The rusted metal grate that serves as the floor bit into her skin but she was too weak to raise her face up away from it. One would never believe that she had once killed an entire team of Rangers.

She was sure that she was supposed to be afraid. After all, she had been screaming before she was here. She had seen something before the light but it was so strong that it burned through her mind. Anything before the light was hazy like a dream that was already fading away into nothingness.

Slowly, either the light dimmed or her eyes simply became accustomed to its intensity and she was able to see a bit of her surroundings.

And was able to see that she was not alone.

“Well this is certainly a surprise.”

**~o~O~o~**

“So what was with the pizza peril?” Zack asked, searching around for any cheese still stuck in his hair.”

            “ _The object of today’s exercise was to remind you that you must always be prepared for attack from anything, no matter how mundane._ ” Zordon’s voice resonated through the cave. “ _Admittedly, I was hoping for something of a more…_ elemental _nature rather than a pastry but the point still stands. Incidentally, Alpha V, you and I will need to discuss what qualifies as appropriate use of the matter replicators._ ”

            “Everyone’s a critic,” the robot muttered under his breath.

            “ _What was that?_ ”

            “Nothing, master, just clearing my throat – ah, I mean clearing my… _vocal processor_. Yes, that’s what I was doing.” For some reason, Zordon did not feel the need to respond, instead continuing on as if his robot servant hadn’t just developed a serious case of the snarks.

            “ _The other reason I summoned you here was so you may observe our continued tracking of the possible ship moving through Earth’s system. I mentioned it before your complete and utter failure at defeating was is essentially flattened bread. Please return to the bridge._ ”

            “I think you’re being a little harsh,” Zack called out, “Pizza’s not just flat bread. It also comes with toppings.”

            “Never forget the toppings,” Billy added, beaming at the fact that he was actually adding to the joke for once, rather than being the butt of it. “Some crazy people use pineapple as a pizza topping, that’s deadly.”

            “Darn, right, Billy. Pineapple toppings are the real danger.”

**~o~O~o~**

Trini groggily opened an eye, just barely. At some point during the second act of _Face/Off_ , she had dozed off, her illness still taking its toll from her.

She could feel something very soft and warm pressed against her and when she fully opened her eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She could see that Kimberly had slowly sunk into the bed as she had watched the film, her arms now wrapped around the sick girl. She felt like she should say something but she dared not for it could mean the end of the hug.

“Well you dozed off fairly quickly.” Trini jumped at the words.

            “How’d you know I was awake?” Trini asked, taking a deep yet discrete breath to calm herself down.

_Come on, Trini, what are you doing?_

            “Your breathing changed slightly, it was kind of obvious.” Kimberly grinned and ruffled Trini’s hair playfully. “What being said, you made for a truly adorable sleep. Like a baby. It was very cute. Are you feeling better after your nap?”

            “Yeah,” Trini admitted, “Loads better actually. Looks like your treatment was actually a good idea.” Kimberly opened her mouth in mock outrage.

            “Don’t sound so surprised. All of my ideas are good ones. After all, it was my idea to pull you down with us the day we met Zordon. If it wasn’t for me, _we_ wouldn’t be Rangers.”

            “I suppose I can’t argue with that.” Trini gave a tired smile and leant back into her pillow.

            “Good girl. Now, you slept through _Face/Off_ but I have a bunch of other films for us to get through. Are you thinking _John Wick_ or _Zootopia_? I feel like I could go either way today.”

**~o~O~o~**

“I am not going to lie to you, Rita, I am just a little disappointed. I had such high hopes for you, high hopes for _us,_ when we met but now all I see is failure. Weak, pathetic failure.”

The object of the voice’s scorn was too weak to even attempt replying but she did have strength enough to raise her gaze, just barely. Her vision was swimming but she needed no eyesight to identify the speaker.

She knew that voice.

“I taught you to harness the powers of creation and you could not even manage to kill five children.

“ _Children!_

 _“_ That being said, I do not blame you for your failure. The fault lies with the teacher not the student. My error was in failing to pick a more deserving pupil, an error I have no intention of repeating. Already, I believe I have found a worthier replacement for you.

“But, do not despair, you still have a purpose to serve. After all, you were fortunate enough to still be in possession of your Power Coin. The unique energy it contains makes it stand out in the vacuum of space. Incidentally, I will be needing it. Clearly, the responsibility of a Power Coin was too much of a strain for your delicate constitution.”

            “… no…” The fact that she could produce any articulate sound, no matter how small, was a show of strength.

            “Oh that is impressive but I am still taking the coin.” Hands forced her to the flat of her back and wrested the Green Power Coin from her grasp. Rita’s mouth opened but whatever she said was too quiet to be heard. “What was that, dearie?”

            “You had better kill me now otherwise I am going to kill you,” she spat venomously, “ _Zedd._ ”

            “Oh no, I am not going to kill you,” said Lord Zedd, “I am sure that I can find some use for you. Besides, I am certain that you are going to like your replacement. I think I picked a real winner, one of those Earth children. After all, they made a real show out of you.”

**~o~O~o~**

Tommy Oliver had been having a rather bad day. First of all, there was that fight with Dad that started off the day. Ever since Mrs. Oliver had died, things had become extremely tense in the household with it not taking much for father and child to start screaming at each other. Then there was the incident with the police officer on patrol.

Tommy grimaced slightly at the memory. Being a Native, “random stops and searches” were nothing new but the way the officer said, “You don’t look like a Tommy” with that patronising little chuckle capped off by a “You stay out of trouble, now” still brought a whiteness to the knuckles.

And, finally, it was the first day at a new school, something no-one is ever particularly excited for.

 _So, this is Angel Grove High,_ Tommy thought, _At least none of the buildings have collapsed yet. That already makes it better than my last school._

Tommy may have been having a bad day, but the image of the flattened assembly hall still made her chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a comment


	3. Chapter Three: Tommy Oliver Makes an Entrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is when we get our first real look at Tommy Oliver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m doing something a little different with Zedd. Don’t worry, he will eventually be the monster we all know and love but I want to earn the character before I get to that.

**Chapter Three: Tommy Oliver Makes an Entrance**

“Okay, we have a new student in detention.” The disinterest in Mr. Stewart’s voice would not have been clearer had there been an enormous sign pinned to his shirt stating, ‘ _This is a man of clear disinterest_.’ He wasn’t even looking up from the student roster. “Tommy Oliver.”

There was no response.

“Tommy Oliver.”

Still nothing.

“ _Tommy Oliver._ ” _This time_ , Mr. Stewart raised his head, scanning the classroom until his eyes came across the unoccupied desk. Instead of the chair hosting yet another deadbeat student, it had a green jacket draped over the back.

Mr. Stewart shrugged helplessly. “Has anyone seen the new kid today?”

            “Sorry, I’m late.” The owner of the voice sauntered into the detention room as if she owned the place.

The first thing that everyone noticed about her was that the girl was _tall._ Jason prided himself on being a fairly tall guy but he was pretty sure that she was at least as tall as he, if not bigger. She had thick, long hair that cascaded down to her back and her lips her drawn back in a sardonic grin. Finally, she was very clearly Native American.

She certainly cut quite the figure.

“I was smoking in the girl’s bathroom. Wait, no, sorry, that was the truth, I’m supposed to lie… just give me a sec… uh… _Oh, oh, I know!_ I was at a really intense Bible study. We’re talking _major_ plot developments. We got the Book of Samuel when David fights Goliath and I just _had_ to see how it ends.  David won, spoiler alert.” And with a swagger, she flopped onto the chair and leant back on it.

Mr. Stewart rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. He just wanted the day to end so the weekend could start. He did _not_ want to deal with every kid that wanted to look cool in detention.

            “And who are you?” he asked as calmly as he could manage. The girl had an expression of innocent confusion on her face.

            “What do you mean? You just spent thirty seconds shouting my name. Now, you’re not the first guy to do that but you are the first to do so while _wearing clothes_ which is certainly an anomaly so that does stick in my mind a little bit. It’s something new.”

Trini leant over to Kimberly. It was her first day back at school since her illness.

            “I _like_ her,” she whispered.

            “Oh,” Kimberly pouted with an extremely fake expression of heartbreak (an expression that was especially unconvincing due to the fact she was giggling), “I thought you liked _me._ ” The two girls laughed before returning their attention to the new girl.

            “So, _you’re_ Tommy Oliver?”

            “That’s right.” Her expression was defiant as she tossed the teacher her wallet. “My driver’s license is in the clear pocket.” Mr. Stewart briefly examined the contents of her wallet before cocking his head slightly.

            “Huh, what do you know?” He passed the wallet back to her. “How about I overlook your lateness _and_ your attitude and, in exchange, you forgive my little _faux pa_ regarding your name?”

            “Seems like a reasonable arrangement.” She took a brief glance at the blackboard. “ _Ooh!_ We’re doing planets today? What are your thoughts on Pluto? I like it and reckon it should still be a planet. Stripping its planet title was just _mean._ ”

**~o~O~o~**

Zedd gripped the front of Rita’s skull with enough force that rocks would have cracked had they been the target of his strength. “Come on, Rita my dear, I need to know _everything_ that you know about these children. Please share with the class.”

Brief glimpses of images flashed through Rita’s mind and she knew that, whatever she saw, Zedd would also see. She could see the ape children tied to the side of a fishboat, struggling uselessly against their bonds.

“Oh, Rita.” He said her name with such condescension that she suddenly missed the cold, dark vacuum of space. At least the void had never mocked her. “I am disappointed in you. You could have killed them all but chose not to out of sheer _arrogance._ You _never_ gloat until your enemies lie dead at your feet. Did you learn nothing from me? But, not to worry, I shall take it upon myself to educate you.”

Zedd tightened his hold and Rita screamed.

**~o~O~o~**

“Well _that_ was certainly one way of introducing yourself.” It was lunch break and Trini was still geeking over the new girl. They had managed to secure their regular table and were currently eating the dubiously named ‘Mystery Stew.’ Zack chuckled.

            “Dude, you heard her say _guys_ scream her name. I’m fairly certain she’s playing for a different team.”

            “ _Hey_ ,” Trini replied with a good-natured grin, “Even if I ain’t gonna doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the bouquet. Besides, a girl can always dream.”

            “She sure can.”

            “She just used ‘ain’t’ and ‘bouquet’ in the same sentence,” Billy noted, “Am I the only one noticing that?”

            “Yeah, pretty much, buddy,” Jason said, patting him on the back, his remark causing Kimberly to silently chuckle.

            “And speak of the devil,” she remarked, nodding at the lunch line. They all turned to see the new girl receive her portion of the brown goop that the school was serving. Now that the green jacket was actually on her as opposed to being draped over her chair, they could see that it had a dragon design sown onto the shoulder. She looked around the crowded cafeteria, her eyes searching for somewhere to sit. Kimberly looked at her friends. “Guys?” she said expectantly, “ _Come on,_ we have a spare seat.” Zack shook his head in a “what a shock” kind of way and grinned.

            “Go ahead.” There were no objections from anyone else in the group.

            “Hey, dragon jacket lady!” Kimberly called out, “Need a seat?!” The girl froze momentarily, clearly not expecting anyone to address her in anyway. She looked around for a few seconds, positive that Kimberly had to be calling out to someone else before pointing at herself, the gesture a question. After Kimberly nodded and mouthed “yes”, the girl walked over to their table.

            “Hello?” she said curiously, not sitting.

            “Hi, I’m Kimberly. The tall one is Jason, the crazy one is Zack, the one decent guy here is Billy and the one that is almost openly lusting over you is Trini. Seriously, down girl.” The last sentence was directed at Trini. “And you’re Tommy, right? Did you want a seat?” Kimberly pointed at the remaining free chair at the table.

            “Look, if you’re trying to score some smokes –”

            “She’s just being nice,” Jason interrupted, “Don’t worry, the rest of thoroughly normal, awful and rather self-obsessed teenagers. So, seat? Want it?” When Tommy still made no motion to sit, Jason shunted the chair out from under the table with his foot.

            “Thanks,” Tommy said with a crooked smile, finally taking the offered chair, and sitting down. “So, what? Is this the popular kids table?” The group collectively erupted into a fit of laughter.

            “Not even remotely close.” Trini had actual tears in her eyes, she was laughing so hard. “God, you have to warn me before you say something like that.”

            “We are definitely the losers of this year, so consider that your fair warning,” Zack said before briefly patting Trini on the back. It looked like the poor girl was laughing so hard she was having rouble breathing.

            “So, how long have you been coming to Purgatory State High?” Jason asked, having recovered from his mirth.

            “This is my third day.” Tommy held up three fingers to accompany her response. Jason whistled appreciatively.

            “And you’re already with us doomed souls in detention. That’s quite the achievement.”

            “What did you do?” Billy asked quickly.

            “I pulled a knife on the Principal.” Five heads sharply turned in her direction which caused Tommy to let out a brief bark of laughter. “Guys, I’m kidding. I do that. Nothing so dramatic, don’t worry. Mr. O’Neil caught me trading cigarettes with Stephen Grant in exchange for a little upstairs action during fourth period yesterday. How about you? What are you guys in for?”

            “Crashed a car.”

            “Knocked a guy’s tooth out.”

            “I blew up my locker.”

            “I have a pathological inability to make it to class on time.”

            “Grand larceny,” Zack said with a grin. “What? New Girl’s the only one allowed to joke?”

            “Yep.” Trini punched him on the arm affectionately.

            “So where were you before coming here?” Billy asked.

            “Everywhere,” Tommy said with a shrug, “Army brat so I’ve been all over the US of A. Until recently, my Dad and I were over at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii for a couple of years.”

            “My Dad was a miner. What’s your Dad do?”

            “Army Captain. He’s definitely a career officer.” The tone of Tommy’s voice and the way that she started furiously picking at the brown stew told everyone _other_ than Billy that her Dad was not a subject she cared to discuss.

            “Seen much action?”

            “Yeah, he’s done a few tours. Although, these days, he’s more of an instructor. He’s stationed at the base out of town, over near the mine. Maybe your Dad and mine know each other.” The last sentence was a clear and obvious attempt to change the subject to something else.

            “Uh… My, my Dad has been dead for seven years and nine months.” Tommy had an awkward expression on her face, clearly not having expected the conversation to go in that direction. “Oh, no, it’s okay, you don’t have to say sorry or nothing. I’m all good now. These guys help.” Billy looked around the table. “I just made you uncomfortable, didn’t I? I’m sorry, I’m not really good with the… I’m sorry.” Tommy cracked a grin.

            “Dude, don’t worry about it. Trust me, I’m plenty weird. Odds are you’ll be the one receiving an apology for me doing something dumb at some point. I just hope you’ll find the strength to forgive me, for whatever it is I do.” Even Billy could pick up on her smile and respond in kind.

            “Don’t worry, I’m very gracious.”

The lunch conversation went much better after that.

**~o~O~o~**

“You know, you don’t actually have to walk me home, I can actually find my own way.”

            “I know I don’t have to,” Jason replied, “That’s what makes me such a great guy. Someone new in town shouldn’t have to wander the streets alone.”

            “ _Riiiight_ ,” Tommy said wryly, “So this is just chivalry?” Jason grinned.

            “Yeah, something like that.” His face became more serious, “Hey, by the way, thanks for being so nice to Billy. He’s a really nice guy but a lot of people don’t give him the credit he deserves.”

            “It wasn’t hard, Billy’s a real sweetheart, he just needs a little confidence boost. _You_ , on the other hand, Mr. Jason Scott, I’m not so sure of.” She poked him in the chest to punctuate the word “you,” although she was certainly smiling playfully.

            “Hey,” Jason scoffed, “What did I do?”

            “I think you have ulterior motives for wanting to walk me home. I mean, you, me, _alone_. What is a girl to think? Oh, this is me by the way.” The pair had reached the gated community where the local military personnel and their families lived.

            “If I did have ulterior motives for walking you home… Would you be okay with that?” What was wrong with him? He had literally fought off an alien invasion! Why was this so pants-wettingly terrifying? Thankfully, she found his nervousness to be somewhat endearing.

            “I might be open to that.”

            “Oh, um… One of us should have mentioned this at school, tomorrow night, me and the others are having a party up in the mountains. We’re gonna make a fire and just hang out. You interested?”

            “Yeah, I’m game.”

            “So, meet up after school tomorrow?”

            “Sounds good. See you then.” As he watched Tommy walk through the guarded checkpoint, Jason’s smile faded slightly.

_Damn it, now I’ve got to convince them all agree to a party. God, they’re gonna ask for some serious bribe._

**~o~O~o~**

Tommy grinned as she flopped down onto her bed. Those losers were actually pretty cool. Maybe the move wasn’t going as awful as she had initially thought.

On top of that, she was invited to a party after only three days at the new school. Not bad, not bad at all.

And Jason was definitely cute, if a little more wholesome than the kind she usually went for.

She grinned, completely unaware of the green light that was shining through her window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Tommy Oliver is a girl this time. This is for three reasons:  
> 1\. That’s what the cast of the film have said that they wanted.  
> 2\. This way there’s three boys and three girls as Rangers  
> 3\. Also, I can avoid that god-awful love triangle from the original series. If you read my Buffy the Vampire Slayer story Heart and Eye, you’ll know already that I loathe love triangles.  
> 4\. Most importantly, the reason why I think the new Green Ranger should be a girl is that, for me anyway, Jason David Frank and Tommy Oliver are synonymous with each other. It’s like Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane or Robert Downey Junior as Tony Stark. Some roles are completely bonded to their performer. I have such a hard time imagining anyone else in the role that in order to do so I need to change the character drastically in order to give the new person a chance. Hence, changing the character from a boy to a girl.  
> Also, I am aware that this is a bit of a slow burn story, already three chapters in without much action. I’m trying to follow the example from the film by spending a bit of time on character interactions first but, don’t worry, action is a-coming.  
> I hope you’ve enjoyed the chapter. Please remember to review as your feedback is the best part of writing. See you soon with the next update.


	4. Truth or Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy spends more time getting to know the group

**Chapter Four: Truth or Dare**

The chains ravenously bit into skin. It was dark, she was not in her room and she was currently restrained with her hands chained to the wall, hanging above her head and, in addition, she was gagged. That was all she was currently sure of. Everything else was just speculation.

_Okay, okay, calm down. Don’t panic. Dad has told you what to do in a situation like this. Who would have thought that your old man’s paranoia might actually work out in your favour for once?_

_Just breathe._

_First thing’s first, let’s find out what that noise it and then we’ll move on from there._

She wasn’t alone.

It had taken her a while to determine that, given the complete and all-consuming darkness, but finally she had realised that the noise she could hear was stifled breathing.

Was there another prisoner locked up with her?

She tried to call out but her words were strangled by the gag so they only came out as a muffled, meaningless sound.

Judging by the sound of the breathing, she could only assume that her cellmate was equally restrained and gagged.

No matter, at least she wasn’t alone.

A thin blade of light cut through the gloom and tore her eyesight to shreds. So accustomed to the dark she had become, that any light was a blinding source of pain. She clenched her eyes shut and silently counted to ten before slowly reopening them. Her vision was blurry but she knew it would adjust with time. She glanced opposite her in the general direction she assumed her fellow prisoner was restrained and could see a faint, blurry silhouette.

So there _was_ someone there. Good to know, she had been mildly concerned she was going crazy.

“I do hope that the two of you have been playing nice with one another.” Tommy looked up in response to the voice. Like the other prisoner, the owner of the voice was a featureless, black outline.

            “Who… are you?” she forced out, dragging the words over dried, coarse vocal chords.

            “Somebody that is _very_ interested in you, Miss Tommy Q. Oliver. What does the Q stand for? Queenie? You look like a Queenie.” The figure walked over to the other shackled prisoner.

            “That’s not an answer.”

            “No it is not,” the figure agreed, “If I was to be fully honest with, I would say that I have a flair for making enigmatic statements. I think it makes me come off as mysterious. It is a personal failing of mine but, again being honest, I do think it is my only one. My name is Zedd and I believe that you can help me with something.” He kicked the other prisoner. “At the very least, I doubt that you could possibly be any more useless than this one. Stop looking so upset, Rita. At least now you are _actually_ of use to me. I cannot lie, I have often wondered about your obsession with the older magics but I am always the first to admit when I am wrong and this may just be one of those times.”

Tommy’s vision was starting to clear but, for some reason, her eyes were still refusing to give her a definitive visual of Zedd. Rita, she could easily identify with her black, almost bandage like garb but Zedd still looked like a blur.

Zedd placed his hand on Rita’s skull, gripping her forehead and she screamed.

Although Zedd did not appear to be exerting much force on her, clearly his hand was doing _something_ to her. Rita’s skin paled and then started to grey, her hair following not long after. Her eyes rolled into the back of her skull and a thin trail of blood steadily drooled from her mouth.

“I think I have enough.” He released her and she limply sagged against her chains. He took no notice of her, not even glancing to check whether or not she was still alive. “Your turn, Queenie,” he said, approaching Tommy with his palm reaching out to her face. She tried to struggle but her chains held her fast and she was unable to move. “Shhh, don’t worry, Queenie,” he said, almost soothingly, “You are not like her. She was a failure and exists only serve as your foundation. I will not hurt you, I will never hurt you.”

He gently placed his hand on her head.

**~o~O~o~**

“What’s the emergency?” Jason was still dripping with water when he made to the bridge of the Command Centre. The urgency of Zordon’s voice had compelled him to run without pausing, despite the fact it was one in the morning.

            “The Morphing Grid has activated.” Zordon’s face swivelled around the wall until he and Jason were eye to eye. “And we know it was not one of you five. It was the Green Power Coin that triggered the activation.” The holographic display in the centre of the room glowed a sickly green.

            “Rita,” Jason breathed in horror, “But that’s impossible. We _stopped_ her! She can’t be back.”

            “Jason, it’s even worse than that. Rita’s Power Coin had been damaged in the asteroid strike that killed me and my team which is why she was never able to access her full Ranger powers such as her weaponry and Zord. But this means that the coin has not only been repaired, it has bonded to a user and that they are either on this planet or its moon.”

            “Jesus Christ.” Jason leant on the railing for support. His legs felt like they were about to drop out from under him. “This is connected to that ship you and Alpha spotted, isn’t it?”

            “That would seem to be the most likely scenario. Jason, this is not going to be the same as when you and your team fought Rita the first time around. Her sorcery was her greatest asset but her Ranger Powers were lacking. This is going to be a Green Power Ranger at full strength which means that not only is it likely that has Rita returned but that she now has an ally powerful enough to repair her coin.”

            “You’re right, it’s not gonna be the same.” Jason had a determined edge to his voice. “The Zeo Crystal isn’t buried in the middle of a street this time. It’s here in this ship, buried under nearly twelve layers of shielding, metal, water, and rock. If she still wants it, she has to come to us, _not_ Angel Grove. And, more importantly, we’re not new at this anymore. We can morph, we can operate our Zords and we have fought her before. I’m not trying to be arrogant but I believe in _us._ You, me, and the others. We can do this.”

The various rocks that made up Zordon’s face shifted and, at first, Jason thought that the display had malfunctioned until he finally realised what had happened.

Zordon was smiling.

Jason hadn’t seen many previous cases of this in his experience with their mentor.

            “I have been so used to fighting on a desperate defence. When I was Red Ranger, it was all I knew. I suppose I am not used to hope. Thank you, Jason, for reminding me that I am not alone.”

            “So, what’s our next move?”

            “Right now, we wait. I know it is not what you want to hear but until Rita comes out of hiding, we have no way of finding her. We need to let her make the first move. But we will not be unprepared. We will train harder than ever before, Alpha V and I will instruct you on utilising your powers to their full potential and we prepare defences. Rita will _not_ get the crystal without bleeding for it, I promise you that.”

**~o~O~o~**

 “You’re looking pretty awful. What happened to you?” Zack had been waiting all first period to ask Jason why he looked seconds away from collapsing into a pile of exhaustion. He had also meant to inquire about the recently formed bruises on his face.

            “I was at the Pit all night training.” Zack whistled in response. For the training programs to leave bruises that were still showing, he had to have set the level at maximum difficulty,

            “Have you ever heard of burning the candle at both ends?” Kimberly asked, grinning. She frowned when Jason didn’t return her smile. “What’s wrong?” Jason looked around at his friends.

            “Zordon thinks that Rita is back.”

            “ _What?!_ ” Billy was practically hyperventilating.

_He plunges face first into the dark, stinking waters of the pier, the foul liquid forcing its way down his throat. He struggles to breathe  but that just provides easier access for the waters. He shakes, twists, contorts,_ anything _to try to force some small amount of air from the gloom._

_Finally, he stops moving._

“Hey, hey, _hey,_ Billy, you are okay, you’re with us. She _cannot_ hurt you.” Billy was calmer.

            “I know, I’m sorry, it’s just…”

            “It’s alright, we understand, buddy.”

            “So what do we do now?” Zack asked.

            “Zordon and Alpha need a day to put together a new training program, apparently this one’s more detailed, so we’re not going in tonight but, starting tomorrow, they want us making an appearance every day until we take them down.”

            “I suppose things were getting a little too quiet around here,” Trini said, a sardonic grin forming.

            “So, what you’re saying is, is that, since we’re not training tonight, we still have to go to that party you roped us into just because you want to hook up with new girl,” Kimberly said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

            “Jason likes Tommy? It’s not fair that all the really good looking ones are straight.” Trini was grinning sadistically as Jason looked more and more uncomfortable with the direction that the conversation was going.

            “I think you guys are ignoring the seriousness of the situation here–”

            “ _Jason likes Tommy, Jason likes Tommy,_ ” Kimberly and Zack said in sing song voices.

            “Seriously, are you guys twelve or something?”

            “Well, _technically_ , we’re all juvenile delinquents so it would be out of character for us to act mature.” It was all Billy could do to avoid cracking up with laughter.

            “ _Et tu,_ Billy? God, I hate you all.” Despite the fact that he was the source of the laughter, eventually Jason had to join in.

            “Speaking of, where is new girl?” Zack asked, “I didn’t see her in class.”

**~o~O~o~**

“You made it! I didn’t know if you’d show cause we didn’t see you in school.” Jason looked up from the fire in response to Zack’s words. Lo and behold, there was Tommy Oliver walking towards the group carrying…

            “Is that a bottle of Johnnie Walker _Gold Label?_ ” Trini exclaimed. Tommy shrugged and grinned.

            “Well, you know, the new kid on the block always wants to make a good impression. Here you go.” Tommy tossed her the bottle and Trini caught it before quickly looking at the label to confirm it was the genuine article and, upon seeing that it was, she gave a brief exclamation of delight.

            “Well colour me impressed. Guys, I think we should keep this one.” Tommy sat down on a log near Jason and Zack held out a hot dog.

            “We have onions, sauces and all that stuff in the cooler over there. Go nuts.”

            “Thanks,” she said, taking the offered food.

            “So where were you today?” Jason asked.

            “Nowhere really, I just felt like playing hooky for the day. _What?_ ” The last part was in response to the others, sans Jason, breaking out in laughter.

            “God, I picked the wrong time to take a drink,” Trini chortled, “That’s kind of burning now.”

            “Jason, you need to marry this girl, pronto,” Kimberly near shouted, tears trailing down her face. Her and Trini practically collapsed into each other, laughing so hard. “Oh, that was good, that’s a good way to break the ice. Thanks, Tommy, we needed that.”

            “Sorry, I’m a little lost here,” Tommy said with a bewildered expression.

            “Don’t worry about it,” said Jason, blushing slightly, “It’s just these losers have deliberately set out to ignore certain words in the English language.”

            “Translation, you two are the only ones in the entire planet to _ever_ use the word ‘hooky.’” Billy had had quite a bit to drink already and it was starting to have an effect as he was quite unused to alcohol.

            “Well, I suppose I could be in worse company,” she said, glancing over at Jason, “What are you drinking anyway?”

            “Corona,” he said, holding up the bottle so she could see.

            “I take back the worse company line,” she said, grinning, “Could you be anymore white?” Despite that, she did swipe the bottle from his hand before taking a swig of the stuff.

            “Well, you may not have noticed this,” he said, leaning in towards her conspiratorially. She leant towards him in response. “I’m kind of the token white guy in this group. Huh, I didn’t know people actually did spit takes in real life.”

            “God, I’m sorry,” she exclaimed, mortified after having just sprayed him with beer while laughing. Despite her embarrassment, she started laughing again which set him off.

            “Damn it,” he said, “I was hoping to do the stern expression thing and make you think I was actually serious. You set me off and ruined it.”

**~o~O~o~**

“Okay… uh, _truth._ ”

            “Coward!” Zack called out before taking another drink.

            “Hey, don’t judge, it’s still early in the game,” Kimberly said defensively, “So fire away, I’m open book.”

            “Did you really knock out that guy’s tooth?” Billy asked which led to a collective groan.

            “Dude, we already knew that one,” Jason said, facepalming, “I think we should get another question.”

            “Ah, _nup!_ ” Kimberly said triumphantly, “I was asked that question so I shall answer honestly, yes, Billy, I really knocked out that guy’s tooth. And I think that brings us to you, Zack.”

            “Well, I’m picking dare cause I guess I’m the bravest here,” he said with a swagger.

**~o~O~o~**

“Come on, come on, _be the nut!_ ” Tommy laughed. Billy’s face was screwed up in concentration.

            “Okay, okay, I’ve got this,” he said to himself before throwing the cashew which completely missed Tommy’s open mouth, her face and went on to hit Trini straight in the nose to the general amusement of all those gathered.

            “Dude,” she said, “Wrong target.”

            “The idea is to throw a lot at once,” Zack added unhelpfully.

**~o~O~o~**

“How the hell is _Trini_ the first one to pass out?” Jason exclaimed, “I mean, Billy I understand, he’s not really used to this but somehow he’s _second!_ ” Billy’s eyes had just recently closed, making him the second person to pass out and signifying the party was winding down. Tommy was sitting in front of him and leaning against his chest so he wasn’t exactly complaining about the state of affairs.

            “Well, she’s just lost a lot of her street cred,” Zack chuckled, “I thought she was the tough, badass one of the group like Rosa from Brooklynn Nine-Nine. Now she’s just kind an _Amy._ ”

            “Lay off of her,” Kimberly said protectively, “She hasn’t been feeling that well lately. We all have off days.” Trini’s head was resting in her lap and Kimberly ruffled her hair affectionally. “She’ll be as good as new next week and then we’ll see who lasts longer, you or her.”

            “Oh, will you two just get a room already?” Tommy snorted. Kimberly’s head shot up.

            “We’re just friends,” she said quickly.

            “ _Riiight,_ ” Tommy replied sceptically, “And I’m just practically spooning this loser because we’re just really good friends. No offence,” she added, glancing back at Jason.

            “We’re just friends,” Kimberly repeated, with a little more conviction this time.

            “Okay, that’s cool,” Tommy said, backing off from the subject, “Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.” The last part was a rapid fire delivery with barely half a second between words. She then stretched and yawned. “Anyway, I’m sorry to love and leave you guys but I really need to head off.”

            “I’d offer to walk you down the mountain but I should really make sure he gets home alright,” Jason said apologetically, nodding in Billy’s direction.

            “Nah, it’s all good,” she said, climbing off of him, “The walk will do me good anyway. Oh, I almost forgot.” She grabbed his face and kissed him full on the mouth for several seconds. She then pulled away and wobbled unsteadily until she found her balance. “Now don’t make anything of that,” she said, “I may be quite drunk. Anyway, later taters.” And with that she walked off, quickly disappearing into the gloom once she got away from the fire.

            “Jason Scott, my man,” Zack said, grinning like a child, “She likes made up words too so it’s bound to work out.”

            “Shut up,” Jason said, but he was too happy about the kiss and was quickly grinning in response.

Despite the others, Kimberly was not smiling, she was still focusing on Tommy’s ‘get a room’ line.

She and Trini were just friends.

**~o~O~o~**

“So, how was your night, young lady?”

            “Yeah, it was alright,” Tommy replied casually, “They seem like a decent bunch of guys. That Jason’s already into me though.”

            “Well you are a rather lovely young lady. Any boy would like you.”

            “Thanks, Zedd,” she said with a grin, “Now I’m thinking that taking them all out is gonna be pretty easy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this later chapter. Please remember to review and tell me what you liked, what you didn’t and what you’d like to see.


	5. Total Party Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the battlefield, Trini realises what has been holding her back and chooses to face it head on.

**Chapter Five: Total Party Kill**

The explosion sent Kimberly flying through the front window of the local electronics store. Her suit absorbed the majority of the blast but it still knocked the wind out of her and she laid flat on her back, stunned. However, there was no respite for the Pink Power Ranger as a trio of putties swarmed in through the broken window and piled on her, pounding her with their fists of stone. She tried her best to block the attacks but she was outnumbered and on her back. Her defences were fading.

Billy tried to push his way over to her but a small mountain of putties blocked his path.

Kimberly was no longer moving.

‘ _KIMBERLY!_ ’

The scream came from Trini who immediately abandoned Zack, with whom she had just been fighting back to back, to an entire putty patrol. She leaped through the window and scissor-kicked the two nearest putties before tacking the third and tearing out its torso.

Now alone, Zack managed to put a decent fight but it was clear that he was now surrounded and off guard and he knew that he had only so many tricks to play before he was overwhelmed.

Trini knelt down beside Kimberly and shook her but she was not moving.

‘ _KIMBERLY!_ ’

Jason and Billy were doing better, cutting deep swathes through the mass of putties that were filling Angel Grove’s main street. Jason used the extra reach of his sword to attack anything at a distance while Billy fought any Putty that survived Jason and got in close.

Kimberly still was not moving.

Trini tore off Kimberly’s face plate. Her eyes were closed and a thick trail of blood was gushing down from her nose.

Zack forced his way through the scrum and put a brick wall to his back so no Putty could sneak up behind him. Face to face, he could take any number of putties but it wasn’t a putty that faced him.

The Green Ranger strode towards him like a cat stalking her prey. Zack lashed out with a swift right hook but she swatted it aside with contemptuous ease before retaliating with a brutal kick to the gut, flooring him. Now stunned, she could then grabbed him by the throat and threw punch after punch down on him until his faceplate shattered.

The next blow caved in his skull.

            ‘Well that was easy.’ The Green Ranger’s voice was dripping with scorn.

Trini did not notice any of that. She was cradling Kimberly’s motionless body. She did not even notice when five putties crawled in through the broken window behind her and she did not notice even when they reached for her…

Jason and Billy were the only ones left standing.

Fuelled by a need avenge his friends, Jason charged at the Green Ranger, roaring with rage. He swung at her head but she dodged with catlike speed.

‘You’re gonna have to do better than that.’ Despite her helmet, Jason _knew_ that she was smirking at him. He could feel it as strongly as the heat from the burning store. He lashed out with a series of wild slashes but she dodged every one of them, laughing as she did so. ‘This is too easy.’

Billy was now alone. Sensing weakness, the mass of putties swarmed. Billy fought with everything he had left. Putties fell, shattering against the street but there was always another to replace the fallen. He finally made his mistake when he overextended on a punch. The putty he had aimed for was about half an inch further than he had thought and when his fist only made contact with air he was momentarily off balance. Seeing its advantage, the targeted putty grabbed Billy’s hand with its own fist of stone and squeezed.

_SNAP!_

The bones in Billy’s right hand were crushed under the pressure and he screamed as the putties descended on him like sharks sensing blood.

Billy’s suit offered just enough protection for his death to be painful.

Jason howled in grief as Billy fell.

            ‘I am going to kill you.’ His voice dripped with venom.

            ‘Now, now, don’t get angry at me,’ The smirk was still in her voice. ‘This is really more your fault. You’ve seen that cinematic masterpiece, _Top Gun._ “Never abandon your wingman.” That’s what they say, right? And I saw a whole lot of wingman abandonment there – _UMPH!_ ’

Her next taunt was smothered when Jason launched himself at her, dropping his sword and squeezing his fingers around her throat, pushing her to the ground. She wrapped a leg around his and flipped over on top of him and elbowed him in the faceplate, causing him to release his grip on her.

The Green Ranger picked up Jason’s sword and swung it around in an arc.

‘Very nice,’ she said admiringly, ‘Do you mind if I borrow this?’

Jason did not even feel the blow that killed him.

‘ _End simulation._ ’

The five Power Rangers all sat up as their surroundings melted away and were replaced with the familiar rocky aesthetics of The Pit.

            ‘God, that was… That was so real.’ Zack was clutching his skull, convincing himself that it was still intact.

            ‘You said we would forget that it was a simulation but that was something else.’ Billy was wagging his fingers back and forth. He could still remember the pain of his bones shattering.

            ‘ _That was pathetic._ ’ None of them could see Zordon’s face, it being up on the ship’s bridge, but they could feel the scorn like waves of heat. ‘ _If the real Green Ranger attacked today I would not imagine you to last more than a minute after witnessing that performance. I had expected so much more from you. So. Much. More. Trini, what were you thinking? You abandoned Zack when Kimberly was supposed to be in support, rapidly moving around the battlefield and helping where necessary. When she fell, you ran after her like a child after its mother, leaving Zack alone and at the mercy of the putties and the Green Ranger. You left him to die!_ ’

            ‘Zordon, it’s not her fault,’ Zack said placatingly, ‘I should have been better–”

            ‘ _QUIET!!!_ ’ Zordon thundered, the entire cave reverberated with his voice. ‘ _This entire mess was Trini’s fault and I do_ not _want to hear any of you defending her actions._ ’ Trini’s face fell and she flushed with shame. ‘ _All of you get out, you’re done for today. Except for you, Trini. Come up to the bridge. You and I need to talk._ ’

Nobody wanted to make eye contact with Trini who know looked like she wanted to disappear into the Earth. Jason, Zack and Billy immediately left for the exit but Kimberly lingered behind. She could see that Trini was sitting down on the stony floor, hugging her knees.

            ‘Hey,’ she said hesitantly, ‘For what it’s worth, thanks for coming after me.’

            ‘Go away.’ Trini’s voice was thick and it sounded like she was close to tears. Kimberly put a hand on her shoulder.

            ‘It’s alright,’ she said soothingly, ‘we’ve all–”

            ‘ _GET AWAY FROM ME!_ ’ Trini screamed with a sudden fury. Kimberly flinched as though she had been physically struck.

            ‘I’m sorry,’ she said in a small voice, ‘Did I… Did I do something?’

            ‘Just leave me alone.’ Trini would not even look at her.

            ‘Okay.’ Trini was not the only one who sounded close to tears.

**~o~O~o~**

Trini braced herself as she walked onto the ship’s bridge. Zordon had been furious in front of the team, she could only imagine how he would be without the need to keep his fury in check.

            ‘Trini, are you alright?’ Her head whipped up in shock.

            ‘ _What?!_ ’

            ‘I asked if you are alright.’ Zordon’s voice was gentle, full of understanding and compassion. ‘I spoke harshly before in front of the others and I will not apologise for that. You let your emotions cloud your judgment and you let your team down. They need to know that I will never tolerate that. _But,_ now that we’re alone, are you alright? I have never seen you act like that.’ Trini was floored. Of all the things she could have expected, a caring Zordon had not been one of them.

            ‘I saw Kimberly go down and – oh god – I… I just lost it. Everything else just faded away and the only thing I could see was her lying there.’

            ‘Trini, you’re on a team but of course there are members you are closer to and of course you will feel distress when they are in danger.’

            ‘You don’t understand, Zordon,.’ Her lip was curling into a snarl, ‘You could _never_ understand.’ The entire ship shook but this time it was not due to Zordon’s anger at being interrupted.

Zordon was _laughing._

Harshly

            ‘I don’t understand?’ he asked, his voice low. ‘Me? Of course I understand. I had to watch my entire team die, right in front of me! I did everything I could, fought with everything I had and they died anyway. There was nothing I could do and, when I’m alone, what images do you think keep appearing in my mind? Their bodies; broken, mutilated, and dead. All I could do was take their Power Coins as they died before crawling to the next dead friend. I am _always_ seeing them, so don’t ever tell me I don’t understand.’ Trini could not remember the last time, if _any_ time, she had ever heard Zordon use contractions.

            ‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly, ‘I knew that your team had died but…’ Her voice trailed off.

            ‘But you had never thought about it properly?’ Zordon’s voice was once again gentle. ‘Like it had actually really happened?’

            ‘No.’

            ‘In your defence, I suppose it is hard to properly contextualize events that took place sixty-five mission years before your birth. Look, the point I’m trying to make is that I do understand what it is like and that I am willing to listen to you and help in whatever way I can.

‘So what happened? In the end, the others all fell and yet Kimberly was the only one that truly affected you. Why?’ Trini’s cheeks flushed with colour and her eyes remained glued to the floor.

            ‘I-uh… _Oh god_.’ She buried her face in her hands as she realised just what she was feeling.

            ‘And finally, you are honest with yourself. I was wondering if I would have to beat you over the head with it or not.’ Trini slid down the wall until she was sitting and pressed her forehead against her knees.

            ‘God, this is so… _cliché!_ ’

            ‘Look, I cannot tell you how to live your life but this is also affecting the team so, if you want my advice, hit this issue head on. This kind of thing will not just disappear so talk to her. Kimberly might return your feeling, she might not return your feelings but, either way, this is going to eat you up inside until you confront it. You are afraid of her possible death because you have feelings for her but also because you have not yet revealed said feeling and would forever live with imaginings of what could have been. If she returns your affection, your emotions will be calmer and easier to control. If not, you still will have confronted them and their power over you will be lessened and, in time, will fade away.’ Trini chuckled.

            ‘You wanna know something?’ she asked, ‘If someone had told me today that I would be receiving relationship advice from you, of _all_ people, I would have been very, _very_ sceptical.’

            ‘Trini, I know that I am hard on all of you but that is only because I have to be. The stakes are too high to afford coddling. That being said, never think for even a single second that I do not care for each and every one of you. You are all as dear to me… as if you were my very own.’

**~o~O~o~**

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Kimberly’s eyes opened to see Trini lightly tapping on her bedroom window pane. She quickly glanced at her clock.

_01:18 a.m._

Kimberly rushed over to open the window.

            ‘Do you know what time it is?’ she whispered, ‘Get in quickly before someone reports a suspicious figure lurking outside someone’s window.’ Trini climbed in and Kimberly shut the window behind her. Trini was shaking and it definitely was not because it was cold outside. She looked nervous. ‘Are you alright?’ Kimberly asked, ‘I left you like a dozen texts but you didn’t respond. What happened?’ Trini opened and closed her mouth several times, desperately trying to speak but unable to find the right words. ‘What’s wrong?’ Kimberly asked.

            ‘Uh… nothing’s _wrong,_ ’ Trini stammered, ‘It actually… It might even be a good thing it’s just… Ah, _screw it._ ’

Kimberly expected Trini to explain herself and then things would go back to normal.

What she had _not_ expected was for Trini to kiss her full on the lips.

After that, all rational thought went out the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this. The simulation was a lot of fun to write but it was ultimately the equivalent of a dream sequence. The next fight is definitely going to be 100% real.  
> Thanks for reading be sure to follow, favourite and leave a comment below.


	6. Her Big Debut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kimberly responds to the massive bombshell that Trini just dropped on her and the new Green Ranger finally reveals herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I am so sorry for this delay. I was away from any kind of internet connection for the past few months. It was horrible. Brrr. Never do that. Anyway, I'm back and updates will once again be regular.

All Kimberly was capable of focusing on was Trini’s lips pressed against her own. The walls of her bedroom did not exist, the bedroom window showing the outside world did not exist, hell, as far as she was concerned, the outside world with its trees, birds and breaking dawn simply did not exist.

There was just Kimberly, Trini, and their lips moving in perfect unison. She was vaguely aware of Trini’s hand cupping her the back of her head, of her leaning into it, further deepening the kiss and then she violently pulled away.

‘No, _no_ , I can’t – I… I just can’t sorry.’ Kimberly was babbling and she took a few steps back, away from Trini, her eyes wide like an owl’s.

            ‘Was I…’ Trini’s mouth opened and closed several times, the words struggling to pass her lips. ‘Was I not good?’ Her words were plaintive, confused. She was getting nervous and doing everything in her power to keep it from overwhelming her.

            ‘No, no, it was uh… It was a _good_ kiss, a very good kiss. I actually haven’t kissed anyone in a while. It’s just… It’s just…’ Kimberley paced the room, backwards and forwards, doing everything in her power to avoid making eye contact with the practically hyperventilating girl in front of her. Before she knew it, she was babbling. ‘Look we’re friends, we are really, _really_ good friends and sometimes when people are really, _really_ good friends with other people and are close and all that, they can sometimes get confused…’

Kimberly not entirely sure who she was trying to persuade. Her heart was beating so fast she was certain

            ‘ _Confused?!_ ’ Trini’s voice wobbled, close to tears.  Kimberly’s heart wrenched seeing her like. ‘I’m confused? _You_ kissed me back! I-I… I…’ Her eyes were very wide before dropping to the ground, a flush now all over her face like a rash. She could feel a sharp, burning sensation spreading all throughout her body, shame and deep disappointment. ‘I’m sorry. I thought… I’m sorry. I misunderstood what we… I’m sorry. I’m just going to go before… I’m just gonna go. I’m sorry.’

_No!_

            ‘Wait!’ Kimberly’s hand reached out and latched onto Trini’s. ‘Don’t go. Not like this. Please just stay for a moment.’

            ‘Why?’ Trini was no longer attempting to hold  back her tears. But she didn’t pull her hand away. Not yet.

            ‘Look – just come over here for a moment.’ She led Trini over to the bed and motioned for her to sit down next to her. ‘Alright, I’m not really handling this well so feel free to throw a shoe at my head if I say the wrong thing – wait, no, scratch that, you’re wearing combat boots. That would hurt like mad so don’t do that. Just lightly whack me over the side of the head.’ Her cheeks were still wet but Trini had to fight a small grin. ‘I’m just… I wasn’t expecting this so it’s all very sudden. I’ve always assumed that I was a certain way, that I, uh, _liked_ certain things, and then you kissed me. That’s… _Come on!_ That’s a big, damn thing to suddenly have happen and I’m now confused about everything. I’m not saying yes, I’m not even saying no, I’m just saying that this is all so new and that I’m going to need some time. To sort myself out and find out what I think. I’m not… averse to our _moment_ , I just need some time. Is that okay?’ Trini shrugged somewhat.

            ‘It’s better than I was expecting.’

            ‘Hey, hey, hey.’ Kimberly gently touched her cheek. ‘You are one of my friends, one of my _best_ friends. I don’t want to lose that so this isn’t something I can rush right into even if I am… a _certain_ way.’ She bit her lip thoughtfully. ‘Do you have somewhere you need to be?’

            ‘I can go if you want.’ Trini made to get up and head to the window before Kimberly yanked her back down to the bed.

            ‘Don’t you dare.’ She was smiling. ‘That’s not what I meant. Uh, I just realised that after this kind of bombshell, I’m probably not getting back to sleep and because it’s really your fault for that, I think it’s only fair that you help keep me occupied so did you want to watch a movie with me? I have the new Spider-Man on my laptop if you’re interested.’

Judging by the rather stunned expression on Trini’s face (not unlike that of a soccer player hit right in the face by the ball), it was quite clear that whatever she had been expecting Kimberly to say, her asking for them to watch a comic book movie together had not been one of them.

As Kimberly fiddled with her laptop, setting up the film, Trini leant back against the bed wondering if it was appropriate to move closer to her or not.

‘Hey, none of that,’ Kimberly said sharply, ‘We’ve watched movies together before and you were never that far away. Get in here.’ She offered an arm and Trini shuffled into the half embrace and they both turned to watch the screen.

Despite her pretence at confident, no-nonsense bluster, Kimberly was still nervous as hell and she was sure that Trini could feel her heart beating at a million miles an hour. She tried to shove her nerves down and just act like everything was normal but it was getting harder and harder.

Trini’s skin was so warm and inviting.

As Peter Parker opened the door and discovered that his girlfriend, Liz, was also the daughter of Toombs, The Vulture, Kimberly made a decision. She was about to open her mouth but then her phone violently shuddered. She frowned as she recognised the caller ID. ‘What does Zack want at this time in the morning?’

            ‘ _Guys. Help me._ ’ It sounded like he was crying. ‘ _Please help me._ ’

**~o~O~o~**

Zack’s closed eyelids were suddenly burning red. The sun was just starting to creep up the mountains that stood over Angel Grove.

            ‘Just five more minutes?’ Zack begged but, as it was wont to do, the sun ignored him and continued to rise. ‘You know, you’re a very unlikeable person. I was having a really _nice_ dream. Zendaya _and_ Vera Blue were there and they were both very happy to share.’ With a grumble, Zack rose to a sitting position and looked down the mountain onto the sleepy little fishing town.

While he had been spending more and more nights watching over his increasingly ill mother, sometimes the lure of the outdoors was too strong and he and a sleeping bag would spend the night under a blanket of stars.

He was in the process of bundling up his sleeping bag when the back of his neck prickled. Unthinkingly, he leapt to the side, right on the edge of the cliff, just in time to evade a laser blast that hit where he had just been sitting.

            ‘Aw, no fair. It’s more fun when you get hit by the laser and blow up.’ Zack spun around and he saw her.

The Green Ranger was leaning nonchalantly a large boulder, lazily twirling a gun with her left hand. ‘Did you know that you drool in your sleep?’ The question was friendly, they could have simply bumped into each other in town and started chatting, her tone was almost pleasant. Her voice really stood out to Zack. There was none of that calculating bite that he had heard in the past.

Then it hit him, the person standing in front of him was _not_ Rita. But he _had_ heard it before. But from where? He could not place it.

            ‘Yeah,’ Zack said with forced calmness, ‘My Mom told me I started that as a child and I guess I just never got out of it.’ He pushed himself up, standing. ‘You know something?’ he said, casually (at least he _hoped_ casually) moving away from the cliff edge, ‘I’m not saying Rita was ugly or anything, seriously she was _not_ ugly. Pants wettingly terrifying maybe, but definitely not ugly. That said, the suit definitely looks better on you. You really fill it out.’

            ‘Aww, that’s sweet. I bet you say that to all the girl’s that try to kill you.’ She holstered the gun which was setting off all sorts of alarm bells. Clearly she did not think that she needed a weapon to kill him.

            ‘Only the hot ones.’ He grinned or, rather, he showed her his clenched teeth.

            ‘You see, now I feel bad,’ she pouted, ‘You’re being all charming. I’m still gonna have to kill you but now I’m going to be wondering, maybe he was the one? What if I never find another hot, quippy guy to grow old and make little Green Ranger babies with?’

            ‘Really?’

            ‘ _Nah._ ’ She giggled girlishly. ‘I’m actually already seeing someone, sorry. Maybe, I mean, it _is_ a little early to put a label on it. I just thought that might make you feel better before you die though.’

Before she had even finished her sentence, she had launched her self at him, her fist approaching at terminal velocity. However, before it could make contact, his fist of flesh and bone was replaced by scaly, black armour which met her head on.

‘Ah, you got your glad rags on. That’s good, I’d hate for the fight to get boring.’

            ‘I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a fight before but there’s usually not this much talking,’ Zack grumbled before, fast as lighting, she elbowed him in the face, sending him flying into the ground. ‘Okay, you’ve _definitely_ been in a fight before.’

            ‘What did you think of that?’ Her friendly, conversational way of talking was really getting under his skin. ‘Both my boss and my daddy say I’m too leggy, that my stance is unsubtle and that it broadcasts my attacks but I think I’m doing alright. What do you think?’

            ‘Well you’re certainly starting to scare me,’ Zack grumbled, ‘I just wish I had something as nice to give to you.’

            ‘Oh don’t worry, Sweetie, I’m sure you have some good moves too.’

            ‘Don’t patronise me.’ There was a blur of motion; kick, uppercut, left hook, knee to the gut and finally a headbutt that knocked her down onto the ground.

_Hard._

            ‘Don’t be too impressed with yourself.’ All pretence of civility in her voice was gone and it sounded thick, like she had a mouthful of her own blood. ‘This is really my fault for going easy. If this were a video game, I’d like you to imagine that I just switched the difficulty to legendary.’

She then lashed out with her left hand right at his face  but Zack was easily able to step back out of range, stopping just before going over the edge of the cliff. He realised that this was not a mistake on her part, she wouldn’t have thrown a blow like that unless she was sure of a hit. Her hand was shining and then suddenly, _crack_ , his visor had been punctured by a dagger that she had not been holding a few seconds ago. A spiderweb of lines ran down his face plate before shattering, exposing his face to her. Although he could not see it, he was aware of the flowing gash under his left eye.

There was no time to rest and lick his wounds, she lunged at him again, this time at the gem in the centre of his chest which exploded upon impact.

Zack felt like his upper body was on fire. He couldn’t breathe, think, or do anything other than scream in agony as his suit disintegrated. He fell to his knees, clutching at his chest as she knelt down next to him.

            ‘I need you to do me a favour,’ she asked, her pleasant tone of voice back again. ‘I’d really like it if you could tell the others that I’m in town and that I’m really looking forward to meeting up with ‘em all. You think you’ll remember that? Good. _Laterz._ ’ She then gently nudged him with a single finger and he plummeted over the edge and down the side of the mountain.

Exactly seven seconds later, the ground smashed into him so hard that he actually bounced before once again slamming into the rocky earth.

He was spewing blood, his vision was blurred and the sharp sensations indicated that at least one of his legs was broken and that that was probably the least of his injuries. Pain spasmed through his body like a virus, finding untouched sections of flesh and filling it with torture.

The pain was the only indicator that he was still alive.

Hundreds of feet above him, the Green Ranger looked down at his broken form, admiring her handiwork She put a hand to the crystal on her chest and her armour melted away..

            ‘Hey, boss man, I just thought you’d like to know that I’ve made my big debut and I reckon it was a pretty good one. In a few hours, they’ll see what I’ve done with Mr. Black down there and they’ll all know I’m here. They’ll be so angry at what I’ve done that they won’t  be focussed and will make for very easy pickings. If we’re really, I might be able to finish this in time to enjoy the weekend.’

Tommy grinned wickedly, taking one final look at Zack before turning about face and walking off, ready to cross another Ranger off her list.

**~o~O~o~**

_Ding! Dong!_

Sam Scott answered the door with a slight frown on his face. After all, who comes calling on a Wednesday at a quarter to eight in the morning? He swung open the door to reveal a slightly out of breath young woman with a small bruise on her chin.

            ‘Can I help you?” he asked neutrally, ‘Miss…?’

            ‘Oliver, Tommy Oliver,’ she replied, ‘Hi, uh, sorry.’ She paused before she continued rambling and took a deep breath. ‘Hi, I’m Tommy Oliver, is Jason here? We were going to walk to school together?’ Unreadable expression on his face, he stood there for several seconds, just observing this strange girl before calling for his son.

            ‘Jason! Some girl is here for you!’

A few seconds later, a surprised yet very pleased Jason Scott arrived at the door.

            ‘Hey,’ he said happily, ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning although, don’t get me wrong, I’m very pleased to see you. What happened to your face?’ His smile faded as he noticed the bruise under her lip.

            ‘You should see the other guy,’ she quipped before she quickly added, ‘Kidding,’ upon seeing his expression. ‘It’s nothing,’ she assured him, ‘It’s more embarrassing than anything. I accidently dropped and shattered a mug this morning and when I went to sweep it up, I slipped on the spilled coffee, tripped over the broom and caught my face on the kitchen bench as I fell. Hardly the stuff of drama. I’ll live, I promise you.’

            ‘You sure you’re fine?’

            ‘ _Dude,_ don’t worry about it. Although, if anyone asks, it happened in a really cool fight which ended with me totally wiping out the other guy.’

            ‘Alright, I believe you. So what brings you here anyway?’

            ‘Well, you seemed absolutely shattered the other night after you had to look after Billy and couldn’t walk me home, _especially_ after a certain moment we may have shared. Along with our tongues and saliva,’ she added roguishly. ‘So I thought I’d make it up to you and let you walk me to school. Who knows, if you’re lucky, on the way back we might share some more things.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please remember to leave a comment so I can see what you think.


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